Timeline of Cape City
The following is a timeline of the history of Cape City in Cape County, Florida, USA. 18th Century 19th Century * 1850 ** Fort Myers established as a military base in southwest Florida to defend against the Seminoles during the Seminole Wars. ** Charles Geary, an Engineer-Industrialist from Philadelphia, begins building canals to drain the Everglades. His plan is abandoned due to the onset of the American Civil War. * 1858 - Chief Billy Bowlegs and his men were defeated and convinced to move westwards. * 1863 - Federal troops recapture Fort Myers from Confederate forces in the Battle of Fort Myers. * 1866 - Feb 21: First permanent settlement established in Fort Myers. * 1881 ** Charles Geary sells off land to Hamilton Disston and numerous European and American investors after suffering losses during the American Civil War. ** The Caloosahatchee River is connected to Lake Okeechobee while the Everglades is drained by Philadelphia businessman Hamilton Disston, who continues Geary’s work. * 1886 ** After his success in Tampa Gavino Gutierrez scouts the Fort Myers area for a new guava plantation. Bernardino Gargol opens his guava factory in Fort Myers with the surrounding area being planned by Gutierrez. ** Many Jewish and Italian immigrants settle in Fort Myers establishing businesses and services for the guava pickers and factory workers. ** Aug 12: Town of Fort Myers officially incorporated. * 1887 ** May 13: Geary County founded, formed from Monroe County. ** Geary High School opens. * 1888 - Charles Geary Jr. purchases Redfish Point to the west of Fort Myers and establishes the settlement of Cape Coral. He begins development of some areas and parcels off the rest to land developers. * 1889 - Cape Electric Company established by Charles Geary Jr., providing power to both the settlement of Cape Coral and Fort Myers. * 1892 - Charles Geary Jr, convinces Henry B. Plant to terminate his railway in Fort Myers. Plant builds a twin hotel to the exquisite known as the Grand River Hotel in the town, turning it into a popular winter destination and taking tracts of land in the area. It became a destination of choice for the extremely wealthy. * 1893 - Opening of the Geary Bridge, connecting Fort Myers and Cape Coral. * 1895 ** Economic boom in Cape Coral/Fort Myers as fishing and shipping businesses take off from the ports, unhibited by the Great Freeze unlike northern Florida settlements. * 1898 - Fort Myers becomes the embarkation area for Roosevelt and Rough Riders during the Spanish-American War, both Fort Myers and the settlement of Cape Coral were filled to capacity and was a great boon to the local economy. 20th Century * 1900 ** Population: 90,761 ** Jan 1: Cape City consolidated by combining Fort Myers and the rapidly expanding settlement of Cape Coral. ** The Cape City Banner begins publication. ** Cape City becomes the seat of Geary County. * 1904 ** May 10: Atlantic Coast Line Railroad built, connecting Cape City to Punta Gorda. ** Grand opening of Midway Station, the central train station for Cape City. * 1914 ** Construction of the Tamiami Bridge, connecting Cape City to Tampa in the north and Miami in the south. ** Establishment of the Black Caesar Pirate Festival. * 1905 - Cape City Fire Department established. * 1915 ** Cape City Hall built. ** Port of Cape City established. * 1916 ** Cape City Public Library established. * 1922 ** Cape City University established. ** WCBA Radio Begins Broadcasting * 1924 - Opening of the Gargol Bridge. * 1925 - Cape City Theatre opens. * 1930 - Population: 202,671 * 1933 ** Labor Strike of Cape City dock workers. ** Cape City International Airport established. * 1946 ** * 1975 - I-875 bypass completed.